Change These Slang Clichés into Better Expressions:
Change the Slang Clichés into
Better Expressions:
1. After what seemed like an eternity, the bell finally rang.
2. The H1N1 virus spread like wildfire through several elementary schools in Tennessee.
3. After losing too much money playing cards, I decided to throw in the towel.
4. Trying to write a good essay is easier said than done.
5. The children were quiet as a mouse on Christmas Eve.
6. It’s a crying shame how Rihanna Fenty was treated by her boyfriend Chris Brown (he punched her in the face, bruising her).
7. Abused women sometimes have to walk on eggshells to avoid upsetting their men.
8. The music group “Journey” sang, “She’s as cold as ice, she’s willing to sacrifice our love.”
9. He always had to watch out for so-called friends who might stab him in the back.
10. Although they had been smoking for many years, they wanted to kick the habit.
11. In this day and age, everyone should know how to type on a computer.
12. I had to get up at the crack of dawn in order to go fishing with my Grandpa.
13. Every March, when Spring is in the air, allergies make me sneeze.
14. Trying to repair a television is fraught with danger because of the high voltages inside.
15. Although the D.C. government banned gun ownership, the NRA stuck to their guns and successfully convinced the U.S. Supreme Court that American citizens should be able to own guns.
16. Even though Betty is dangerously obese, she ignores her doctor’s advice like water off a duck’s back.
17. Tiger Woods finally had to face the music, and he apologized to his wife about his multiple affairs.
18. Some teachers are very strict about deadlines, but my attitude is usually “better late than never.”
19. When Billy-Bob printed out his paper, he was not happy with what he saw. He forgot to set his word processor in “what you see is what you get” mode.
20. Everyone makes fun of Bubba’s odd-looking girlfriend, but “Love is blind.”
21. The Democrats are trying to improve health insurance, but the Republicans keep saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”
Revised 10 February 2010
Clichés: Avoid Them Like the Plague
(From Laura Hayden's "Left-Brain-Right-Brain/Creativity Program")
suspense@
They’re great titles, but lousy writing:
---A---
ace in the hole
ace up your sleeve
acid test
airing dirty laundry
all in a day's work
all talk, no action
all booster, no payload
all hat, no cattle
all foam, no beer
all hammer, no nail
all icing, no cake
all lime and salt, no tequila.
all missile, no warhead
all shot, no powder
all sizzle, no steak
all wax and no wick
all that and a bag of chips
all thumbs
all wet
all's fair in love and war
almighty dollar
always a bridesmaid
ambulance chaser
another day, another dollar
ants in your pants
apple-pie order
arm and a leg
armchair quarterback
army brat
art imitates life
artsy-craftsy
artsy-fartsy
as luck would have it
as old as time
at loggerheads
---B---
babe in the woods
back against the wall
back in the saddle
back to square one
back to the drawing board
bad to the bone
badge of honor
Badonkadonk
ballpark figure
balls to the wall
baptism of fire (baptism under fire)
bare bones
bark is worse than the bite
bark up the wrong tree
bat out of hell
bats in the belfry
battle royal
beat around the bush
beat the bushes
beats me
behind the eight ball
bent out of shape
best foot forward
bet your bottom dollar
better half
better late than never
better mousetrap
better safe than sorry
better than ever
better (to deal with) the Devil you know
than the one you don’t
between a rock and a hard place
beyond the pale
bib and tucker
big as life
big fish in a small pond
big man on campus
bigger they are (the)
bird in the hand is worth two in the bushes
birds and the bees
birds of the feather
bite the dust
bite your tongue
bitter disappointment
black as coal
blast from the past
bleeding heart
blind as a bat
blood is thicker than water
blood money
blood on your hands
blood sweat and tears
blow this pop stand / joint
blushing bride
boil it down to
bone of contention
booze and broads
bored to tears
born and raised
born with a silver spoon in your mouth
born yesterday
bottom line
brain drain
brain dump
brass tacks
bring home the bacon
broken record
brother's keeper (thy)
bull by the horns
bull in a china shop
bump in the night
busy as a bee
but seriously
by and large
---C---
calm before the storm
candle at both ends
can't cut the mustard
case of mistaken identity
cat out of the bag
cat got your tongue
caught red-handed
chapter and verse
checkered career
chickens come home to roost
chomping at the bit
cleanliness is next to godliness
clear as a bell
clear as mud
cold shoulder
communist conspiracy
conniption fit
could care less
couldn't care less
couldn't get to first base
count your blessings
countless hours
creature comfort
crime in the street
curiosity killed the cat
curry favor
cut a fine figure
cut and dried
cut to the chase
cut to the quick
cute as a button
---D---
darkest before the dawn
dead as a doornail
death and destruction
death and taxes
death's doorstep
devil is in the details
dim view
dog days
dog in the manger
dog won’t hunt (added)
don't count your chickens before they're
hatched
don't do the crime if you can't do the time
doubting Thomas
down and dirty
down in the dumps
down pat
down the drain/toilet
down the hatch
down to earth
drive you up a wall
dutch uncle
dyed in the wool
---E---
E-ticket
ear to the ground
early bird catches the worm
easier said than done
easy as 1-2-3
easy as pie
eat crow
eat humble pie
enough already
even money
every dog has its day
every fiber of my being
everything but the kitchen sink
evil twin
existential angst
experts agree
eye for an eye
---F---
facts of life
fair-haired one
fair weather friend
fall off of a turnip truck
fat slob
favor us with a song
fear and loathing
feather your nest
fellow traveler
few and far between
field this one
fifteen minutes of fame
fish nor fowl
fly by night
fly the coop
for the birds
fox in the henhouse
freudian slip
fun and games
fun in the sun
--G---
garbage in, garbage out
get the sack
get your groove back
gets my goat
gift horse in the mouth
gilding the lily
give a damn
give me a break
gives me the creeps
go him one better
goes without saying
good deed for the day
good time was had by all
greek to me
green thumb
green-eyed monster
grist for the mill
guiding light
---H---
hair of the dog
hard to believe
have a nice day
head honcho
heart's content
hell-bent for leather
hidden agenda
high and the mighty (the)
high on the hog
hold a candle to
hold your horses
hold your tongue
hook or by crook
horse of a different color
hot knife through butter
how goes the battle?
--I---
I beg to differ
if the shoe fits
I'm okay, you're okay
in a nutshell
in a pinch
in a wink
in harm's way
in the tank
in your dreams
in your face
inexorably drawn
info dump
influence peddling
intents and purposes
it was a dark and stormy night
it won't fly
--J---
Jack of all trades
jockey for position
Johnny-come-lately
joined at the hip
jump down your throat
jump in with both feet
jump on the bandwagon
jump the gun
jump her/his bones
junk in the trunk
jury is still out
justice is blind
---K---
keep an eye on you
keep it down
keep it simple, stupid
keep up with the Joneses
keep your cards close to vest
keep your chin up
keep your fingers crossed
keep your powder dry
kick ass
kickbutt
kick the bucket
kick up your heels
kick you to the curb
kick your feet up
kid in a candy store
kill two birds with one stone
King's English
king's ransom
kiss and tell
kiss ass
kiss of death
kit and kaboodle
knee-high to a grasshopper (or toad-frog)
knock it out of the park
knock on wood
knock your socks off
knocked up
know him from Adam
know the ropes
know the score
knuckle down
knuckle sandwich
knuckle under
---L---
labor of love
lap of luxury
last but not least
last-ditch effort
last hurrah
law of the jungle
law of the land
lay down the law
leaps and bounds
let sleeping dogs lie
let the cat out of the bag
let's split
liberal media
lie like a rug
life and limb
life imitates art
life's a bitch
lighten up
lights out
like a sore thumb
like butter
like the plague
like there's no tomorrow
lion's share
litmus test
little black book
live and learn
long and short of it
long lost love
look before you leap
lounge lizard
loved and lost
low man on the totem pole
luck of the draw
luck of the Irish
---M---
make my day
male chauvinist (pig)
man's best friend
many moons
many-splendored thing
mark my words
meaningful relationship
mellow out
moment of glory
moment's respite
Monday morning quarterback
monkey suit
monkey see, monkey do
motherhood and apple pie
movers and shakers
moving experience
my two cents
---N---
neat as a pin
needless to say
nip it in the bud
no guts, no glory
no love lost
no pain, no gain
no stone unturned
no time like the present
nose to the grindstone
not in my back yard
not on your tintype
number one fan
numerous to mention
---O---
off the wagon
old college try
old meets new
older and wiser
older than dirt
older than Methuselah
on the bandwagon
on the nose
on the wagon
on thin ice
one born every minute
one foot in the grave
one in a million
only game in town
only to be met
out of pocket
out of the frying pan
out on a limb
---P-Q---
p's and q's
pain and suffering
panic button
party pooper
patter of little feet
pass the sniff test
pay through the nose
peas in a pod
perfect storm
pig in a poke
pillar of society
pinko
plenty of fish in the sea
poison pen
poor as a churchmouse
poor excuse for
pot calling the kettle black
proud possessor
put my/your foot down
quick as a bunny
quick and the dead
---R---
radical chic (in contrast to radical sheik)
rags to riches
raining buckets
raining cats and dogs
rank and file
read my lips
red herring
redheaded stepchild
reign supreme
remember the Alamo
road to hell is paved with good intentions
rob Peter to pay Paul
rock and a hard place
rocket science/scientist
rope a dope
run it up the flagpole
running dog lackey
---S---
safe than sorry
salt of the earth
save face
scared stiff
scared to death
school's out
screaming meemies
senses reel
set the record straight
shake a stick should of
shoulder to the wheel
shouldered his way
shut your trap
sigh of relief
significant other
silence is golden
slept like a log
small world
snake in the grass
snow job
snug as a bug
some of my best friends
something the cat dragged in
spade a spade
spare the rod
spitting image
spring to life
squeaky wheel gets the grease/oil
start from scratch
stick in the mud
stick in your craw
still waters run deep
stop and smell the roses
store bought
stranger than fiction
straw that broke the camel's back
stubborn as a mule
stuff that dreams are made of
stuffed shirt
---T---
take one for the team
take the bull by the horns
take the plunge
takes one to know one
talk turkey
(touch with a) ten foot pole
the earth moved
the final analysis
the real McCoy
the same old story
these things happen
thick as thieves
think outside of the box
third time's the charm
this day and age
this point in time
three strikes and you're out
through the grapevine
throw in the towel
tiger by the tail
till the fat lady sings
time and time again
time is of the essense
tip of the iceberg
'tis the season
to err is human
to the best of my knowledge
tongue-in-cheek
too hot to handle
touch of blarney
tough as nails
tough luck
tough row to hoe
traditional family values
trials and tribulations
tried and true
trip down memory lane
true blue
turn your smile/frown upside-down
twist of fate
twists and turns
two to tango
--U-V---
under the gun
under the same roof
understated elegance
unexpected twist
until the cows come home
up his sleeve
up the creek
up the wrong tree
very real concern
view with alarm
---W---
wakeup call
was my face red
watch your tongue
web of intrigue
week of sundays
what a bummer
what comes around, goes around
what the cat dragged in
what the dickens
what the heck/hell
what you see is what you get
what's not to like
wheeler-dealer
when in doubt, punt
when push comes to shove
when rubber meets the road
when the cat's away
when the going gets tough,
the tough get going
who has everything
whole ball of wax
whole hog
whole nine yards
whole other story
wild goose chase
wild oats
will wonders never cease
wimp
win friends and influence people
win one for the Gipper
wnning is everything
wisdom of the ages
without benefit of clergy
wolf at the door
words fail
work like a dog
worst nightmare
wrong side of the bed
---XYZ---
years young
yellow journalism
you are what you eat
you can run, but you can't hide
you know what they say
young and foolish
young and restless
yuppie
---Numerical---
20/20 hindsight
Euphemisms for "Stupid":
A kangaroo is loose in the top paddock
(Australian).
All foam, no beer.
Body by Fisher, Brains by Mattel.
He couldn't pour water out of a boot
with instructions printed on the heel.
He couldn't think his way out of a paper bag.
He donated his brain to Science, but
Science sent it back.
He fell out of the Stupid Tree and
hit every branch on his way down.
He has bats in the belfry (added).
He’s as useful as teats on a boar hog.
His bread ain't done.
His cheese slid off his cracker.
His elevator doesn't go to the top floor.
His pilot light isn't lit.
His yeast went bad.
If brains were dynamite,
he couldn't blow his nose.
If you gave him a penny for his thoughts,
you'd get change.
It takes him an hour to cook Minute Rice.
Somewhere, a village is missing its idiot.
The gates are down, the lights are flashing,
but there is no train.
The light is on, but nobody is home.
There's nothing in the attic but cobwebs.
The starting gate is open, but
he's still asking directions.
The wheel’s turning, but the hamster’s dead.
He or She Is:
A few cans short of a six-pack.
A walking advertisement/poster boy for
birth control/planned parenthood.
Dumber than a bag of hammers.
Dumber than a box of rocks.
Not the brightest crayon (or bulb) in the box.
Not the sharpest knife in the drawer.
One brick shy of a load.
One fry short of a Happy Meal®.
One pickle short of a barrel.
One sandwich short of a picnic.
One step short of a flight (of stairs).
One taco short of a combination plate.
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